The Philippines Open International Championships and later known as PHILTA International Championships or simply the Philippines Open was an international men's and women's clay then later court tennis tournament founded in 1918 as the Philippine Championships . It was first organised by the Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA) and first played at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, Manila, Philippines. This international tournament was part of the ILTF World Circuit until 1978 when it was discontinued.

History

In 1906 the Manila (Philippine Islands) Lawn Tennis Association was founded. In 1913 it became the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association formally incorporated in 1920. In 1936 it joined the International Lawn Tennis Federation. In 1920 PhilLTA organised the first International Championships of the Philippines.

In 1907 the Championship of the Orient tournament was held in Manila until 1909 and played at the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association tennis court grounds before it was discontinued for one year. In 1911 it was revived until 1917.Wright and Ditson The Philippines Championships tournament had its origins in the Oriental Tennis Championships event, an early ancestor event of the Asian Championships.

In 1918 the Philippines Championships were held for the first time, and were played at the Manila Tennis Club. In 1920 that tournament became a fully open event called the Philippines Open Championships. From 1918 until 1924 it was an event for men only. In 1925 a women's event was established. In 1934 the Manila Carnival Grounds was renamed and this tournament was then played at the newly built Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium on clay courts. In 1940 the Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium was renamed as the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, that now included an indoor stadium.

In 1959 two editions of the men's event were held one in later January and the other in early December. In 1961 two editions of the men's event were played again one in the first week of February on outdoor clay courts, the second during the mid two weeks of month on outdoor hard courts. In 1972 this tournament usually held in February was moved to November that year. For the years 1973 to 1978 it was also valid as the Manila International Championships (f.1968) or Manila Open also played in November. The tournament was discontinued in 1978.

In 1981 PHILTA staged a new tournament called the Philippine Classic that was won by Ramesh Krishnan. After a period of 35 years international tennis returned to the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in the form of the Manila Challenger (also known as the Philippine Open), a clay court event that was won by Mikhail Youzhny.

This tournament went through a number of different denominations see tournament names below.

Event names Philippines Championships (1918–1920). International Championships of the Philippines (1920–1941). Philippines International Championships (1950–1972). Philippines Championships (1973–1974). Philta International Championships (1975). Philippine Open (1976). Philta International Championships (1975, 1977–1978).

Finals Men's singles Notes: In 1959 two editions of the men's event were held one in January denoted as (*) the other in December denoted as (**). In 1961 two editions of the men's were held one in early February denoted as (*) the other in mid February denoted as (**). (incomplete roll) International Championships of the PhilippinesYearChampionsRunners-upScore↓  PHILTA Circuit  ↓1932 Hyotaro Sato Ryosuke Nunoi6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 6–3. 1935 Leonardo Gavia Edgar Moon8–6, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2. ↓  ILTF World Circuit  ↓1936 Eugène Smith Leonardo Gavia6–3, 6–4. 1937 Leonardo Gavia (2) Felicisimo Ampon 6–3, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3. 1938 Takeo Matsumoto Juan Ladaw6–0, 6–1, 7–5. 1941 Felicisimo Ampon Amado Sanchez5–7, 4–6 6–2, 6–2, 8–6 .1942/1949Not held (due to World War II) and afterPhilippines International Championships1950 Pedro Masip Felicisimo Ampon 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1. 1951 Sven Davidson Irvin Dorfman6–3, 6–1, 6–2. 1952 Felicisimo Ampon (2) Raymundo Deyro 3–6, 6–4, 6–2, 7–5. 1953 Felicisimo Ampon (3) Fausto Gardini4–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–3, 6–4. 1954 Raymundo Deyro Atsushi Miyagi6–2, 6–3, 6–0. 1955 Felicisimo Ampon (4) Sven Davidson 6–1, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2. 1956 Raymundo Deyro (2) Herb Flam6–2, 6–1, 7–5. 1957 Raymundo Deyro (3) Felicisimo Ampon6–2, 6–3, 6–2. 1958 Ulf Schmidt Raymundo Deyro6–2, 6–4, 6–1. 1959* Felicisimo Ampon (5) Raymundo Deyro 2–6, 6–2, 8–6, 6–3. 1959** Felicisimo Ampon (6) Raymundo Deyro 6–4, 7–5.1960 Raymundo Deyro (4) Johnny Jose6–2, 6–1, 7–5. 1961 * Mike Sangster Johnny Jose5–7, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4. 1961 ** Neil Gibson Barry Phillips-Moore6–4, 6–2, 6–1. 1962 Ken Fletcher Raymundo Deyro 9–7, 6–2, 7–5. 1963 Felicisimo Ampon (7) Johnny Jose5–7, 4–6, 7–5, 6–0, 6–1. 1964 Raymundo Deyro (5) Felicisimo Ampon 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 11–9, 6–3. 1965 Ken Fletcher (2) Raymundo Deyro2–6, 9–7, 0–6, 6–4, 6–2. 1966 Felicisimo Ampon (8) Jesus Hernandez6–1, 6–0, 6–0 1967 Ron McKenzie Felicisimo Ampon4–6, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2. 1968 Ray Keldie Eduardo Cruz 6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5. ↓  Open era  ↓1969 Dick Crealy Eduardo Cruz 2–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–3.↓  ILTF Independent Tour  ↓1970 Raymundo Deyro (6) Ron McKenzie6–3, 6–3, 6–2.1971 Greg Perkins Raymundo Deyro 6–2, 3–6, 7–9, 6–4, 6–01972 Marcelo Lara Dick Dell6–1, 6–4. ↓  ILTF Grand Prix circuit  ↓1973John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 127. ISBN 9780362001686. Ross Case Geoff Masters 6–1, 6–0. 1974John Barrett, ed. (1975). World of Tennis '75 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780362002171. Ismail El Shafei Hans-Jürgen Pohmann 7–6, 6–1. 1975John Barrett, ed. (1976). World of Tennis '76 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 120, 122. ISBN 9780362002768. Ross Case (2) Corrado Barazzutti 6–2, 6–1. 1976John Barrett, ed. (1977). World of Tennis 1977 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Janes. p. 117. ISBN 9780354090117. Brian Fairlie Ray Ruffels 7–5, 6–7, 7–61977John Barrett, ed. (1978). World of Tennis 1978 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Janes. p. 128. ISBN 9780354090391. Karl Meiler Manuel Orantes w.o.1978John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 126. ISBN 978-0354090681. Yannick Noah Peter Feigl 7–6, 6–0

Women's singles (incomplete roll) International Championships of the PhilippinesYearChampionsRunners-upScore↓  PHILTA Circuit  ↓ 1925 Clarissa Mitchell Elisa Rosales Ochoa6–3, 6–2 1926 Clarissa Mitchell (2) Elisa Rosales Ochoa6–4, 6–2 1927 Clarissa Mitchell (3) Elisa Rosales Ochoa6–3, 3–6, 7–5 1930 Elisa Rosales Ochoa Alice Davis6–4, 6–4 1931 Irmgard Baumann B. Calma 6–1, 6–0 1932 Elisa Rosales Ochoa (2) Irmgard Baumann6–4, 3–6, 6–2 1933 Elisa Rosales Ochoa (3) Irmgard Baumann6–3, 6–3 1934 Irmgard Baumann (2) Elisa Rosales Ochoa6–2, 3–6, 6–1 1935 Minda Ochoa Elisa Rosales Ochoa 6–3, 3–6, 6–4↓  ILTF World Circuit  ↓ 1936 Minda Ochoa (2) Helen Marlowe Dimitrijevic6–0, 7–9, 6–1 1937 Minda Ochoa (3) Irmgard Baumann7–5, 6–4 1938 Minda Ochoa (4) Estrella Alburo 6–1, 6–3 1939 Minda Ochoa (5) Aida Ochoa6–4, 7–5 1940 Liberty Solisa Minda Ochoa Aida Ochoa6–2, 3–6, 6–4 1941 Liberty Solisa (2) Estrella Alburo 6–0, 6–31942/1949Not held (due to World War II) and afterPhilippines International Championships 1950 Mary Terán de Weiss Minda Ochoa Moldero 6–1, 6–1 1951 Dorothy Head Helen Kingsley6–0, 6–2 1952 Joy Gannon Mottram Liu Shang Kuo6–2, 6–1 1953 Joy Gannon Mottram (2) Minda Ochoa Moldero 6–3, 6–1 1955 Desideria Ampon Teresita Cosca 6–2, 7–5 1956 Desideria Ampon (2) Mary Lou Ang 6–2, 6–2 1957 Patricia Ward Desideria Ampon6–0, 6–1 1958 Desideria Ampon (3) Patricia Yngayo 6–2, 6–1 1959 Desideria Ampon (4) Patricia Yngayo 6–2, 6–4 1960 Desideria Ampon (5) Patricia Yngayo 6–3, 6–1 1961 Rosemary White Gibson Desideria Ampon6–2, 6–3 1962 Dorothy Head Knode (2) Desideria Ampon6–2, 6–1 1963 Dorothy Head Knode (3) Rita Bentley6–4, 5–7, 6–2 1964 Reiko Miyagi Dorothy Head Knode6–3, 6–1 1965 Desideria Ampon (6) Francesca Gordigiani9–7, 6–2 1966 Desideria Ampon (7) Patricia Yngayo 6–1, 6–2 1967 Desideria Ampon (8) Linda Lanuza 6–4, 6–2 1968 Desideria Ampon (9) Teresita Cosca 6–4, 6–1↓  Open era  ↓ 1969 Desideria Ampon (10) Patricia Yngayo 6–3, 6–0 1970 Ceci Martinez Patricia Yngayo 6–0, 6–0 1971 Desideria Ampon (11) Patricia Yngayo 6–1, 6–0 1972 Isabel Fernández de Soto Fiorella Bonicelli6–4, 6–4

Other tournaments Manila Challenger (an ATP Challenger tournament held in Manila in 2016) Manila International Championships (an international tournament founded in 1968 and played in November through till 1978, and again in 1981.) Manila Invitational (a 4 four man exhibition tournament held in 1978 and won by Björn Borg). Manila Metropolitan Championships (founded in 1930 held in Manila until 1972, revived by PHILTA in 2023 as the Metro Manila Open). Philippine Championships (closed) officially the Philippine National Championships (founded in 1920 ran till 1971). Philippine Indoor Championships (founded in 1940 ran till 1950).

See also :Category:National and multi-national tennis tournaments

References